§ Mr. Crowtherasked the Secretary of State for Industry (1) what proportion of the money paid in grants under the paper and board industry selective assistance scheme was for projects specifically intended to increase the consumption of waste paper;
(2) how much money paid in grants under the paper and board industry selective assistance scheme has been repaid to the Government as a result of closures;
(3) how many mills have closed, and how many machines have been taken out of production, after having been the subject of grants made under the paper and board industry selective assistance scheme;
(4) what increase or decrease in the consumption of indigenous fibre, including waste paper, has taken place in mills for which grants were made under the paper and board industry selection assistance scheme;
(5) how much was paid in grants under section 8 of the Industry Act 1972 in connection with the paper and board industry selective assistance scheme.
§ Mr. MacGregorTo date, grants to the value of £17.96 million have been paid under the paper and board industry scheme to encourage and assist projects involving(a) the expansion of the paper and board manufacturing industry's capacity to process and use indigenous fibre and (b) the expansion of the industry's capacity to store waste paper. Of this sum just over 97 per cent. has related to projects to increase capacity to process and use waste paper. Eight mills are understood to have closed and, in all, 14 machines are understood to have been taken out of production after having been the subject of grants under the scheme. No repayments of grant have yet been received. Figures for the actual consumption of indigenous fibre in grant-assisted mills are not available. These will vary with the mills' output.